Battering ram with canister deployment

Abstract

A cannister deployment apparatus for discharge of gas cannisters within a target building includes a battering ram arranged for being carried on a vehicle for penetrating into the building when impacted on the building by the vehicle. The battering ram has a housing with a plurality of receptacles for receiving the cannisters to be discharged respectively therein. The receptacles include (i) one or more release receptacles arranged to release the respective cannister from the release receptacle upon actuation by a release actuator so that the cannister is discharged from the housing, and (ii) one or more discharge receptacles enabling actuation of the respective cannister into an active state while the cannister remains supported within the discharge receptacle upon actuation by a discharge actuator arranged to trigger a release lever of the cannister in the discharge receptacle into an active state.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for discharge of gas canisters within a target building using an elongate member carried on a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
 a battering ram extending in a forward direction from a rear end arranged to be mounted onto the elongate member carried by the vehicle to a front end arranged for penetrating into the building when impacted on the building by the vehicle; 
 the battering ram having a housing having a plurality of receptacles for receiving the canisters to be discharged respectively therein; and 
 an actuator assembly operable remotely by a user in the vehicle for actuating discharge of at least a selected one of the canisters; 
 wherein at least one of the receptacles is a release receptacle operatively associated with a release actuator of the actuator assembly; and 
 wherein in response to actuation by the release actuator, the release receptacle is arranged to (i) eject the respective canister from the housing of the battering ram and (ii) actuate the respective canister into an active state to discharge gas from the gas canister when the canister is ejected from the housing of the battering ram. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one release receptacle is arranged to hold a release lever of the respective canister in an inactive state while the canister remains supported within the release receptacle such that the release lever is arranged to be displaced from the inactive state to the active state upon ejection of the canister from the housing. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one release receptacle includes a biasing member associated therewith urging the respective canister to be ejected from the release receptacle upon actuation by the actuator assembly. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one release receptacle is arranged to eject the respective canister from the housing through a bottom of the housing. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one release receptacle is arranged to eject the respective canister from a release opening in the housing and wherein the actuator assembly includes a release gate operatively associated with the release opening to control the ejection of the respective canister from the release receptacle. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 5  wherein more than one of the receptacles comprise release receptacles and wherein the release gate is operatively associated with all of the release receptacles. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 6  wherein the release gate is arranged to release the canisters from two of the release receptacles simultaneously with one another as the release gate is displaced from a closed position to an open position. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to  claim 6  wherein the release gate is arranged to release the canisters from at least two of the release receptacles sequentially with one another as the release gate is displaced from a closed position to an open position. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the receptacles is a discharge receptacle enabling actuation of the respective canister into an active state to discharge gas from the gas canister while the canister remains supported within the discharge receptacle, and wherein the actuator assembly includes a discharge actuator arranged to trigger a release lever of the canister in the discharge receptacle into an active state. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus according to  claim 9  further comprising a plurality of discharge openings in a bottom of the housing in communication with said at least one discharge receptacle such that the discharge receptacle is arranged to receive the gas discharged from the canister therethrough upon triggering of the canister into the active state. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the release actuator and the discharge actuator are actuatable independently of one another. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the battering ram extends in a forward direction from a rear end arranged for mounting on the vehicle to a forward end arranged for penetrating into the building, said at least one discharge receptacle being located forwardly of said at least one release receptacle. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein each receptacle is arranged to receive its canister loaded therein through a loading opening at a top of the housing, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a lid operable relative to the loading opening between a closed position covering the loading opening and an open position in which the loading opening is substantially unobstructed by the lid. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the front end of the battering ram comprises a push plate oriented perpendicularly to a longitudinal direction of the elongate member, the push plate having a prescribed height exceeding a corresponding height of the housing of the battering ram and a prescribed width exceeding a corresponding width of the housing of the battering ram. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising a camera supported on the housing and having a lens directed forwardly so as to be arranged to capture infrared video images.